With news that the Obama Administration was considering a potential economic stimulus package in November, Sandy Breslin and our Audubon Long Island Sound team leapt into high gear to identify and promote ‘shovel-ready” projects benefiting the Sound. For the past month, our team has been working to ensure that lawmakers and the Obama Transition Team consider clean water and habitat restoration projects in the LIS as part of any federal economic stimulus package.

Sandy Breslin and Sean Mahar (of Audubon New York) identified over $1.6 billion in clean water projects and $211 million in habitat restoration projects around the Sound. Based on this information, Audubon’s national legislative director, Mike Daulton, successfully urged that LIS clean water projects be included in a nationwide compendium of green infrastructure projects submitted to the Obama Transition Team by a coalition of top environmental groups in DC, known as the Green Group. The advocacy continued in meetings with legislative leaders and the Obama Transition Team, where National VP of Policy, Betsy Loyless, took the lead advocating for the significance of Long Island Sound. The response was overwhelmingly positive and led to a request for additional information from the Obama Transition Team. Click here to download the fact sheet provided by Audubon on LIS.